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CNN Live Today
Terror on the Tracks
Aired December 05, 2003 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour in Russia. That is where the search is on for terrorists who targeted a commuter train this morning near a volatile region of Chechnya. More than three dozen people were killed, 177 wounded, in an attack carried out by a suicide bomber, and at least two females who jumped just before the explosion.
Our Ryan Chilcote joins us now with the latest.
Ryan, hello.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, well, the death toll stands at 40 now. More than 100 people in hospitals in this area, more than 100 people in this hospital that I'm standing in front of the town of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in southern Russia, still fighting for their lives. So 40 dead, apparently 177, that's the official statistic now, wounded in this attack.
This was an attack on a commuter train. It was about 7:30 in the morning. Russians were on their way to work when there was a massive blast in the second wagon of this train. Russian officials saying there were four perpetrator behind the blast, three women, one man. The man, they say, died on the scene. He had a bag full of explosives with him. He also had some grenades attached to his legs, not all of which went off. Still it was a massive blast.
Another woman, the head of the Russian Federal Security Service, said will not make it. He did not clarify whether she had already passed away or whether she was not going to make it somehow injured in that incident, apparently involved in the blast. Two others, as you were saying, apparently were able to jump from the wagon just before the blast went off.
Now, the Russian president has spoken on national television. He said this is a terrorist act meant to interfere with Russia's parliamentary elections. Those elections are scheduled for Sunday. Then the Russian justice minister spoke. He said that there is apparently a connection to Chechnya here.
Now Chechnya is just about a two-hour drive from where I'm standing. It is a Russian republic where Russian forces continue to fight against Chechen rebels. The war going on for almost a decade right now. This area that we're standing in southern Russia is the scene of many blasts. There was almost an identical attack here on a commuter train here just three months ago, and now today, horror here.
KAGAN: Andy, Ryan, what about the connection to the upcoming elections?
CHILCOTE: Well, it's not exactly clear, the Russian president did not explain what that connection could be. Simply, however, we can speculate that whoever is behind this blast the terrorists wanted to somehow remind voters, the Russian electorate, that they are out there, that they have a campaign of their own, a campaign of terror, and they are not going to rest without recognition.
It is unclear how this is going to affect Sunday's election other than, of course, the fact that up until this morning when this blast went off, this election was almost exclusively about the Russian economy, Russian voters set to go to the polls for a better economic life here. The issue of security and the question of the war in Chechnya had almost been all but forgotten in this election campaign. Well, no doubt they will be right on the top of the agenda right at the forefront of voter's minds when they go to the polls the day after tomorrow -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Ryan Chilcote, joining us from Russia. Thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 5, 2003 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour in Russia. That is where the search is on for terrorists who targeted a commuter train this morning near a volatile region of Chechnya. More than three dozen people were killed, 177 wounded, in an attack carried out by a suicide bomber, and at least two females who jumped just before the explosion.
Our Ryan Chilcote joins us now with the latest.
Ryan, hello.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, well, the death toll stands at 40 now. More than 100 people in hospitals in this area, more than 100 people in this hospital that I'm standing in front of the town of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in southern Russia, still fighting for their lives. So 40 dead, apparently 177, that's the official statistic now, wounded in this attack.
This was an attack on a commuter train. It was about 7:30 in the morning. Russians were on their way to work when there was a massive blast in the second wagon of this train. Russian officials saying there were four perpetrator behind the blast, three women, one man. The man, they say, died on the scene. He had a bag full of explosives with him. He also had some grenades attached to his legs, not all of which went off. Still it was a massive blast.
Another woman, the head of the Russian Federal Security Service, said will not make it. He did not clarify whether she had already passed away or whether she was not going to make it somehow injured in that incident, apparently involved in the blast. Two others, as you were saying, apparently were able to jump from the wagon just before the blast went off.
Now, the Russian president has spoken on national television. He said this is a terrorist act meant to interfere with Russia's parliamentary elections. Those elections are scheduled for Sunday. Then the Russian justice minister spoke. He said that there is apparently a connection to Chechnya here.
Now Chechnya is just about a two-hour drive from where I'm standing. It is a Russian republic where Russian forces continue to fight against Chechen rebels. The war going on for almost a decade right now. This area that we're standing in southern Russia is the scene of many blasts. There was almost an identical attack here on a commuter train here just three months ago, and now today, horror here.
KAGAN: Andy, Ryan, what about the connection to the upcoming elections?
CHILCOTE: Well, it's not exactly clear, the Russian president did not explain what that connection could be. Simply, however, we can speculate that whoever is behind this blast the terrorists wanted to somehow remind voters, the Russian electorate, that they are out there, that they have a campaign of their own, a campaign of terror, and they are not going to rest without recognition.
It is unclear how this is going to affect Sunday's election other than, of course, the fact that up until this morning when this blast went off, this election was almost exclusively about the Russian economy, Russian voters set to go to the polls for a better economic life here. The issue of security and the question of the war in Chechnya had almost been all but forgotten in this election campaign. Well, no doubt they will be right on the top of the agenda right at the forefront of voter's minds when they go to the polls the day after tomorrow -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Ryan Chilcote, joining us from Russia. Thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
